anemonefish

noun

anem·​o·​ne·​fish ə-ˈne-mə-nē-ˌfish 

variants or anemone fish

: clown fish

Among scientists and aquarists, clownfish are also known as anemonefish because they can't survive without a host anemone, whose stinging tentacles protect them and their developing eggs from intruders.

—James Prosek, National Geographic, January 2010

Dozens of members of the large tropical family of damselfish, or demoiselles, live on the Great Barrier Reef. They include several species of anemone fish, which grow to about 12 centimetres and are usually orange, with one or more broad vertical white stripes.

—Nick Drayson, Australian Geographic, July–September 1990

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

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